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Article 1 of the Convention. National policy. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that several measures had been adopted by the Government to abolish child labour, including the setting up of focal points to combat child labour, a national coordination unit for child protection and local watchdog committees to involve the village authorities in the fight against child labour and the trafficking of children. The Committee further noted that a national action plan against child labour had been drawn up and was due to be implemented. It requested the Government to provide information on its implementation, as well as the results achieved.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government that a national action plan against the trafficking of children and the worst forms of child labour covering the period 2007–09 was adopted in 2007. The national action plan aims to reduce and ultimately eradicate the trafficking of children and other worst forms of child labour in Côte d’Ivoire. It comprises five strategic areas of intervention which aim to strengthen prevention activities and the removal, reintegration or repatriation of child victims of trafficking and other worst forms of child labour and build the human, material and structural capacities of those involved in the implementation of the plan. However, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that very few actions directly related to the national action plan have been carried out to date due to financial constraints. The Government also indicates that the activities currently being carried out form part of local projects and do not come under the national programme. Furthermore, the majority of actions implemented to tackle child trafficking and child labour are focused on the cocoa sector, such as the establishment of a system for the monitoring of child labour on cocoa plantations (SSTE), which covers several administrative departments in the cocoa production area. Finally, the Committee notes that, according to the national action plan strategic document, phase I of the plan, which was to last 18 months initially, has still not been completed and that the schedule for the planned measures has not been respected. The Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of the national action plan. It requests the Government to continue providing information on its implementation, indicating the action undertaken and the results achieved, particularly with regard to the number of children working in the cocoa sector who have benefited from the removal and reintegration measures.